Allies
by Enide Dear
Summary: To save Rufus, Tseng has to find allies amongst his two least favorite ShinRa 'employees'


Title: Allies  
>Author: Enide Dear<br>Pairing: Implied TsengxRufus, also Dark Nation and Smokey  
>Rating: cute but somewhat violent.<br>Summary: No Turk were harmed during the writing of this fic. No, honestly!  
>AN: Birthday gift for :iconalbedosreqium:!

Being a Turk was all about not showing fear. So Tseng held his ground, even though his palms were sweating and only years of meditation left him with enough control of his body that his pulse kept beating steadily.

The huge beast on the other side of the fence was easily a head taller than he was, beady little eyes watching him with interest even as claws tore up the sandy ground.

Leviathan, but he hated birds. And chocoboes were nothing but enormous, freaky birds.

Something scratched his trousers leg impatiently and he looked down on Dark Nation who growled impatiently, the huge Hell Hound's tentacle snapping in the air and her muscular body quivering with need to get going. She was right; whoever had kidnapped Rufus were getting further away for every second. There was no way Tseng could catch up with them on foot. He needed the damn bird for speed, just as he needed Dark Nation's nose to find his prey.

Smokey put her head to one side and squawked curious and it took all of Tseng's considerable willpower not to step back. _Show no fear. They can smell fear._ He wasn't actually sure that chocoboes could smell fear, but he wasn't taking any chances. These things were bred as war mounts, the huge claws could eviscerate a man in less than a second and the sharp beak could tear of limbs. The fact that they weren't carnivorous was only a very small comfort; being eaten up and shit out wasn't exactly the way he wanted to go one day.

Bur Rufus needed him, and that was all that mattered.

Decisively he opened the stable door and stepped inside; he was a competent enough rider and he got the chocobo equipped fairly fast. All he needed to do now was to get on and prepare for a few horrible hours of riding and…He put one foot in and pushed of to get in the saddle.

Smokey sidestepped neatly, tripping the Turk head first down into sand, straw and chocobo dung.

Tseng's gun was out of his holster before he hit the stable floor and his fingers were shaking with pent up fury. Gods above and below to blow this fucking bird into a cloud of feathers and Thanksgiving dinner….

But that wouldn't help Rufus. Tseng had the distinctive feeling Smokey was grinning at him – the damn birds looked as innocent as Reno and Tseng trusted them about as far – but Dark Nation was howling with need to go after her master.

All good Turks knew that if threats didn't work you tried blackmail. Tseng got out a Green from his shirt pocket and flinched as Smokey cawed happily and lounged for it, almost taking his fingers off as well. Cold sweat dripped all over his body as the chocobo's beak pecked at his palm, but he held still and got away without even a scratch.

Busy consuming the treat, Smokey pulled no tricks this time as Tseng managed to sit up. Chocoboes, like all birds, smelled of dust and vaguely reptilian and for the fiftieth time that day Tseng swore he'd never go anywhere again without a proper motorcycle for emergencies.

"Search," he commanded dark Nation who exploded out of the stable now the tardy human was finally ready, and Tseng very gently nudged Smokey into motion.

Chocoboes were faster than pretty much anything else on Gaia, and Smokey was an Elite Black Chocobo; several times Tseng had to rein her in so they wouldn't leave Dark Nation behind. A few hours of riding into the wastelands had left the Turk sweaty, exhausted and with an acute aching in his loins – and those had all been good feelings if they hadn't been caused by a damn bird. Personally he would never understand why some perverts swore to naked chocobo ridings, but then again Gaia was full of all kinds of perverts. He didn't pretend to understand them all, just to make sure there were incriminating photos.

Dusk fell as Hell Hound, Chocobo and Turk closed up on their target; a small group of men gathered around a campfire. Off to one side was a tied up, familiar blond in a dirty white suit, looking pissed but unharmed.

Tseng swore under his breath; there were eight of the kidnappers and they had weapons. The wise decision would be to call for backup and wait for Reno to arrive with a chopper. But Midgard was almost a day's flight away, even the way Reno on a mission handled a chopper, and that felt unacceptable long. If only he'd had some allies….

Smokey squawked quietly, the feathers on her head rising like a battle crest as she too spotted her tied up master. Dark Nation's growl was so low it could be felt more than heard. Tseng turned back to the animals, eyes narrowing. Maybe Rufus had allies out here after all.

Two shadows broke out of the dark of night, throwing themselves over the unprepared men; claws and beak tore flesh to bloody ribbons, fangs and tentacle slashed skin and muscles from screaming bodies. A gun rang out, but in the cacophony of mauling animals it could barely be heard; the two men closest to Rufus fell before they got to their feet.

It was over almost before it had begun and Tseng hurried over the massacred bodies, falling to his knees in the mess and making short work of Rufus' bonds.

"Sir, are you alright?" He helped the president to sit up. Dark Nation scuffled forward to lick at the blonde's face and wrap a protective tentacle around his wrist and Smokey pecked concerned at the sandy hair like an overgrown mother-hen.

Shaking his head to clear his head, Rufus looked around and smiled a little.

"Oh look, all my pets come to save me." He gave Tseng a rather dusty kiss to take the sting of the words. "I didn't think you liked chocoboes and Hounds, Tseng?"

Tsneg shrugged and helped Rufus up on the black chocobo. It was a long way back to the ShinRa ranch and he'd preferably walk to sit another minute on that bird. Dark Nation jumped around his legs and he curbed in the urge to kick her away.

"I don't particularly like animals, sir." He said as he took the reins and started the long journey back to civilization. "But I figure if I can work with Reno and Rude I can work with Smokey and Dark Nation. At least none of them have as yet tried to hump my leg to get a raise."


End file.
